Bathroom

We have already renovated the upstairs bathroom once but it seemed a shame to have one room in the house that did not have spray foam insulation so all of our hard work got torn out and we get to do it all over again.

We were pretty satisfied with the original renovation so it will be reconstructed with only a few changes. First instead of the wood wainscoting, we will be installing 3x6" bianco marble tile on the walls. We plan to use bianco marble pencil pieces and 6x18" tiles to create a baseboard and top it off with bianco marble chair rail pieces. The grey marble floors tiles will be staying.

We will be reinstalling the Kohler Memoirs pedestal sink and Serif toilet.

And of course we will be reinstalling our beautiful clawfoot tub. However we will be replacing the faucet and shower with a set that also has a hand-held shower. After a recent incident involving our old shower rod detatching from the wall and separating the showerhead while Dave was in the shower, spraying the entire bathroom in water until I could rush in and turn off the water supply, we are adamant to find a much sturdier shower enclosure. So far these two "Hotel Quality" shower enclosures are the front runners, both from Signature Hardware.  



Thermostatic Hotel-Style Shower

 

Hotel-Style Shower



Current code requires that thermostatic faucets are installed but the thermostatic faucet is just not as pretty as the traditional cross handle version!

Amy

Front Entry

Although a measly 6' x 8', I am hoping that the renovated front entry will have a big impact on those who visit our home. It is all about first impressions right? 

Though really almost anything will be an improvement from the lack-luster pea green walls and worn finishes the room featured before (made to look even worse when the only "before" photo I have is mid-demolition).

The outer door was one of our splurges. A gorgeous Arts and Craft style door in a rich mahogany wood tone from Jeld-wen.

Jeld-wen Wilmar Door

The inner door is the original front door to the house and features an antique mail slot and turn-style brass door bell. We had wanted to restore the wood and stain it to match the new outer door but unfortunately the wood has been sealed with something that prevents it from absorbing stain evenly. Instead we are hoping to make the door a feature by painting it a vibrant colour. Right now we are leaning towards a deep blue.
   

Teal Tempo, Oceanside from Sherwin Williams

Originally I had been dreaming of a dramatic marble floor - either black and white marble in a checker pattern or a carerra marble mosaic rug.

In the end we decided a polished marble floor might be a little too slippery during the winter and selected a 8"x16" distressed travertine tile that we plan to install in a herringbone pattern.

Anatolia Antique Pewter Travertine

The light fixture will be a brass and glass pendant that we bought on a trip to Thailand four years ago (I hate to think what the customs agent thought when they saw two light fixtures and a large wood cutting board in our luggage).

When we bought the light fixture, I had planned to paint the ceiling similar to the ceilings in the Grand Palace where I had first spotted the light fixture. I am still contemplating it as an unexpected pop of colour.

Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand

There is one big challenge remaining... trying to find storage for all of our coats and shoes!

Amy

Progress - Day 54

Progress over the last ten days has felt slow even though we checked two big items off the list.

On Wednesday of last week the spray foam crew began insulating. It took them almost four days to complete the entire house, twice as long as they had originally estimated, and were delayed a further two days after completely running out of foam on the second day. They didn't finish the final touch-ups until this Wednesday.

In between visits from the spray foam crew, the new furnace and ductwork got installed last weekend.

This next week will be spent finishing off the mile long list of little things that need to be done before drywall can go up. Phone lines, internet lines, tv cables, stereo wire, vacuum lines, backing, vapour barrier, sound batt...

Amy

Office Inspiration

Dave has requested that the office be designated as his "mountain room" so that he has a place to display photographs of our hiking, skiing and climbing adventures. Looking for inspiration for a theme to tie the ever changing photo collection together, I started to search for vintage ski posters. So far these two are the leading contenders.

Ete Hiver Chamonix Mont-Blanc Print

Ski Canadian Rockies Print

Dave has also asked that at least one wall in the house be painted something other than white so my compromise will be the wall behind the built-in desk. Right now I am flipping between a light green or rich orange to compliment the posters or a deep gray or even black for a more dramatic look. The orange is my favorite but I am scared it will blend too much with the red brick veneer that will be on the chimney beside the desk.


    



Mountain Road, Supreme Green, Peppery from Sherwin Williams

 

IXL Durham Brick Veneer

DecorPad

I am still searching for inspiration for the photo wall but want to find a gallery system that will easily allow us to swap out photos and frames as the collection changes.



Gallery Frames, Pottery Barn

Studio Wall Easel, Pottery Barn

AS Hanging Systems



It will still be months before I can even start to decorate but in the meantime I can continue to dream!

Amy

Warm and Cozy

After two weeks of fretting over -20 C (and colder!) temperatures, frozen pipes and outrageous gas bills - nothing can beat this site!

 

Amy